From the minute I saw this figure on the DC Collectibles Facebook page I knew that this was a must have. Just when you thought The Joker could not possibly be made anymore psychotic and evil looking DC surprises us again. This sculpt is based on Greg Capullo’s “Death in the Family” version of The Joker. Yes, this is the same guy who walked into a police station and murdered countless cops in an effort to get his face back so he could re-attach it using some straps, pins and staples. This Joker is no joke at all. He is 100% crazy and this Phil Ramirez sculpt captures him in all of his manic glory.

The real strength of this figure lies in it’s sculpt and paint applications. This sculpt has every tiny little detail intact, DC did not cut corners in order to save a buck here. Gone is the traditional purple suit and instead we get treated with getting a Joker in a mechanic looking jump suit, which he has stolen from Joe’s Garage. Unfortunately, his overall still has Joe’s name tag on it, so it is highly likely that Joe is no longer with us.

The jumpsuit is well sculpted containing many different folds and stitch lines. The pockets protrude from the pants so do not receive the old painted pocket trick. The sculpt also comes with a great tool belt featuring a fully packed arsenal of tools, some of which are removable and double up as accessories. You can see the elastic waistline folds in the jumpsuit pants, and the pants stop just above the ankles so you get given the classic sock exposing Joker look. The entire jumpsuit has a thin layer of darker paint which looks like fresh grease on a mechanics overall. This subtle paint application just makes you appreciate the extra effort put into the figure.

This Joker also comes with over-sized working gloves. Some may not like the size of the gloves, but this just makes the mechanic look of the Joker so much more authentic and appealing. The amount of detail placed into The Joker’s face is breathtaking. He truly looks as creepy as the comics made him out to be. His pale skin works a great contrast from his hair and the sinew like structure of his true face which is under the mask. The mask is made from his actual face, but this villain did not have the time to seek professional assistance; so his facial reconstruction involved a strap, some wire and some clips. The colouring and etching of his sinew like face works perfectly, you can see the true extent of the damaged that he has done to his face in both losing it and attempting to repair it. His eyes look plain ol’ crazy and his yellow and brown teeth just add to the creation of one terrible and frightening looking enemy.

The downside is the articulation. Although it has more points of articulation when compared to most DC Collectibles New 52 figures, it is still far more limited than what Marvel Select has to offer these days.

This figures sport the following points of articulation: A ball jointed head, which moves well left to right but struggles to look up and down, ball joint shoulders which are hidden quite nicely by the jumpsuit, swivel biceps and hinged elbows, swivel wrists which allow him to hold his accessories at different angles, a swivel waist, T-shape hips leaving the joker with a denim looking underpants shape, hinge knees and swivel ankles. Unfortunately, there are no ankle rockers or thigh swivels to help with those crouching predator poses. The hinge joints at the elbows and knees also stop at around 80 degrees instead of 90 degrees. Some swivel-hinge wrists could have also made for some more menacing accessory equipped poses. Now you are left with the accessories pointing straight up or straight down.

This figure comes with a few loose accessories which can be stored in his workers belt. The Joker comes with a saw, a wrench, a hammer and some rather large pliers. So he has a bit more than the one accessory that DC Collectibles tends to offer in this line of action figures. In fact, it is usually just one accessory, if you are lucky. Now the accessories are made of a rather flimsy plastic, most likely a PVC. Fortunately, the figure I am reviewing seems to have less warped accessories, but have a close look at the accessories before choosing your Joker figure. Some have exceptionally warped saw blades and wrench handles. This can be corrected quite easily with a little pressure or some heating. They are quite brittle so avoiding corrective measures may be the better option. The hammer tends to not fit into the front loop so it will be displayed best in hand as a weapon.

The packaging on this piece is amazing. It has the perfect silhouette of The Joker on the side of the box in case you want to store it in a library like manner. The packaging is also a lot more compact than other figures, which makes it ideal for those people who are fighting for the right to obtain display space. Even if you decide to keep this figure in the box, everything is easy to see and this figure will remain great. The black finishing on the villains box is just amazing as well. The back of the packaging shows which other villains are available and offers a very, and I mean very, short bio on this classic villain.

The minute I showed this figure to people I was met with the same comment, “It looks too evil.” And this is exactly what makes this figure awesome. The Joker is pure evil is he not? Nobody wants a figure of The Joker that the can hug while they sleep at night. This version of Jack Napier is the most twisted, grotesque and frightening figure done in his image.

A big thank you goes to Marco and Hennie at Critters and Comics, they are currently offering the best price on this amazing figure so be sure to visit www.crittersandcomics.co.za for more information.